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Look, guys. It’s Saturday. I don’t want to blow anyone’s cover or make you feel worse if you shivered out the week in an over-air-conditioned cubicle but I have to tell you: I think everyone is on vacation but us. I think they’re on beaches, building sandcastles, accumulating freckles, having lobster rolls for lunch and cherry pie and juicy peaches for dessert. I don’t think they’re thinking about us at all. I’ve already broken my please-don’t-be-so-dull-as-to-discuss-the-weather-Deb rule once this week and I don’t want to do it again, nevertheless, given the state of That Which Shall Not Be Named, I think it’s about time we stopped pretending that we’re actually going to be turning on our stoves until sometime in October.

With all that out of the way, may I offer you a drink? It’s cold; the ice clinks against the side of a very full glass which, you know, is about the finest sound there is. It’s the kind of fizzy that gently mists your face as you lean in for a sip, which would be annoying in, say, November but is exactly what I always hope for in July. It’s magenta and seasonal and it has an old soul, something I kind of dig that in a drink. Shortly after I moved to NYC, I remember going to a bar with a friend of mine from college and she ordered a Sloe Gin Fizz. I looked at her like she had two heads. “Is that an old man drink?” I told her, with (clearly) all of the class I could muster. But she insisted that there was something grand inside that glass, something worth getting to know. I, of course, ignored her, and ordered my usual a gin-and-tonic.

If you’re sitting there thinking, “okay, sounds good but have no idea what you’re talking about because I don’t speak your goofy cocktail-ese,” it’s cool: the drink category that goes by the name fizz are carbonated with water (club soda, seltzer or sparkling water) and something acidic/sour, like lemon or lime, often with a bit of sugar and ice. Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavored with a small fruit that is a plum relative called sloe berries; usually the gin is infused with them. But personally, I have little interest in infused cocktails. I don’t buy lemon-flavored vodka, when I’d rather put a real live actual wedge of lemon in a glass and I always preferred the cherry Cokes you could sometimes beg your parents to order for you in restaurants, with the slip of *totally natural* cherry juice in the bottom over the kind they eventually bottled. Man, I sound old.

This is where the blackberry gin fizz comes in, all of the fizzy gin but the fruit isn’t “infused;” it’s just there. And yeah, it’s a bit fruitier than the classic, and it’s also a lot prettier. It’s surprisingly tart and really refreshing and did I mention it was once a breakfast drink? What, you couldn’t drink gin for breakfast? Could you eat blackberries? What about a blackberry spritzer, with lime juice and a little sparkling water? What if it was the liquid format of this totally-acceptable-for-breakfast cake? Right, then. I think you know what needs to be done.

Purée blackberries and sugar in a blender until as liquefied as possible. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer into two tall or collins-style glasses; discard seeds in sieve. Divide gin and lime juice between glasses and stir to combine. Add ice to glasses then top each with soda and a sprig of basil or wedge of lime. (Might need another quick stir to combine.) Share with someone you like.

Lara — I try to respond to emails but I’m very behind on it these days. But, if it’s a quick question that only needs a quick answer, I try to respond quickly! Seems silly to let such an email get buried.

Wow, lovely drink. I think I might make a virgin version of it((:
Glad to have you back posting recepies so often!You are so right about the not turning on the stove and also owen till the October. I am dreaming about all the cold foods: cold (berry) soup, gespacho(s) and similar..could live on those…why do you don’t have such an items over here? Or maybe you do, will go to recepie index right now…enjoy the summer((:

I made a version of this recipe as the “signature drink” for a daughter’s engagement party during a hot, hot, McHottie hot August a few years ago. It was a BIG hit. I’ll have to check my recipe with yours. One difference I know for sure – I used vodka, not gin. And it was just as marvelous!

I’ve been making a similar drink for the past few weeks, and I can’t get enough of it! You cook the blackberries with some ginger and sugar to make a sweet syrup, and then add lemon (or lime) juice, gin, and a fizzy drink — I’ve been using ginger ale to make it extra gingery!

on wednesday when the farmers market is open, i will get some blackberries. i am currently drinking a good ol’ fashioned g&t, but last week it was all grapefruit instead of lime. can’t wait to try this variation too.

I think you are right. I went to the grocery store this morning and it was so quiet in there. I think the entire town is on vacation in Tahoe right now :) I’m catching up on some work today but I’d be happy to stop to have one of these and commiserate with you. Yum!

This reminds me so much of your raspberry limeade slushies- from the berry + lime + fizz combo down to the vibrant pink color in the same glasses, all in a more adult version of course. (Though, being 16, I wrinkle my nose at gin!) Anyway, this is definitely the time of year for summery fruity drinks, and, in my house, impromptu lemonade. Thanks Deb!

Stephanie — Ack, same glasses too! Had almost completely forgotten about that drink, which I loved but made in the seconds before we’d gone on vacation so I forgot about it quickly. This would be wonderful without gin, too.

Johanna — I actually have no fondness for Tanqueray. I discovered last week when we had our place painted that we have a ton of booze we never use, including this bottle. I guess we really don’t drink at home much, save a beer or glass of wine here or there, and am now trying to use stuff up! For G&Ts, I’m an oddball and like Beefeaters. For everything else, I like Hendricks and some of the other new ones floating around these days.

I LOVE YOU DEB! How did you know that I spent my day running around on kid birthday party errands and everyone is at the beech but me and I have a cup of juicy fresh blackberries, lime and gin? D you know how much less than this it takes to form and declare true love?

Well, I read this recipe approximately 30 minutes ago… a quick trip to the liquor store… and now I’m enjoying my first blackberry gin fizz! What a fantastic way to beat That Which Shall Not Be Named :)

Would it be bad to have this for a morning juice drink out on the patio watching the sun come up? To mourn my last day of vacation? Loved sloe gin fizzes, sipping my drink watching the closing acts – on the stage and on the dance floor.

God, I love gin. Me and the Queen. My go-to is the plain Bombay with the white label, because it’s like $14 and perfect with 365 tonic (no corn syrup!) and a wedge of lime on a HELLA hot day like the ones we’ve been having. But I wouldn’t kick this cocktail off my porch. Mm, blackberries.

I feel like it can be so hard to find a good gin drink that isn’t a G&T…until now. If I didn’t have to work tomorrow I would be drinking this while floating in the pool. I’ve been living off Vermontucky Lemonades for awhile now. I think its appropriate to switch.

This looks absolutely gorgeous. Cannot remember how I came across your blog but it had me captivated. Beautifully written and I hope you take it as a compliment when I say I would love to use yours a a goal for how mine should be. So much rain here so look as if we will have a bumper blackberry crop …… definitely going to give your drink a go then.

Deb, I’m with your husband (and I agree with Jennifer on the taste of gin). It’s awful. Fortunately, you tried it with vodka and it works because this sounds like a great drink. I’m off to pick some berries.

Welp this post GOT ME with the color of the drink alone. I looked on your site yesterday and baked up those blueberry bars from 2008. I took them to my parents house as my Mom isn’t very well. I helped to brighten their day. So thanks. They were so yummmmmmy!

The picture of the lime juice brings me back…. oh to last night! I make my own simple fresh margarita with 1800 tequila, salt, lime, and cointreau…… it is divine. In fact it is perfect, but now you have me thinking about the cointreau, which is an orange infused liqueur……. hmmmm fresh orange juice? Any ideas?? might have to try that, oh I don’t know, maybe… TONIGHT! Summer is wonderful.

I will say, I love sloe gin fizzes and this drink looks so good. Such a gorgeous color. Thanks for another great post

These are goregous. I would almost feel guilty doin what I normally do with a good drink and slurp it down in less than a minute. I love a good fruity boozey beverage. I might be trying this for brunch after church today!

I bartender once tried to tell me that a “gin fizz” was not a real drink. If anyone does that to me again, this time I can say, “haven’t you seen the blackberry gin fizz recipe on Smitten Kitchen? Of course it’s a real thing!”

Ah, blackberries — on the list of good things about summer. Gorgeous color. Straight fizzy water for me though — I abhor gin. I can’t even describe the taste of gin except as medicinal. Or I might make a Kir variation and mix the blackberry puree with white wine.

This sounds delicious and I’m not usually one to put effort into cocktails. (It’s more like, what tastes good just mixed together.) I loooooove blackberries.

As for the comment a couple above mine–I hate when people judge your food/drinks. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff I don’t like or think is boring, but I’m not going to outright tell anyone not my child that they should expand their horizons.

And Deb, you managed to complain about the weather with self-awareness, so you get a pass. ;) A good friend of mine moans ALL SUMMER about the heat and she’s lived in NYC about 12 years. I despise the dead of winter, but for pete’s sake, I moved to a place where Canada is just a few hours away by car!

Gah, that looks so good. I agree with you about the “I don’t want to be dull and talk about the weather” rule. But when I can’t even sit down in my car because it’s 111 degrees out, I really can’t think of many other relevant topics. ha.

Will be making this…tonight! I have been into freshly muddled cocktails this season so this is right up my alley. There is an unopened bottle of Hendricks on the liquor shelf that is just DYING to be cracked for the right occasion. This may just be it.

Cocktails that are made with fresh fruit are so appealing to me. I love the blackberry and how fizzy and refreshing this looks. It’s been super hot this weekend so I could see myself loading up a to-go batch of these and taking it to the lake!

Hi Colleen — Frozen would work, but I’d defrost them first, or they’ll be harder to puree thinly and strain the seeds from.

Aviva — Probably but I think cooking sour cherries is a better method to get all of their juices out.

Iki — It’s from Anchor Hocking. Here‘s the 2-cup version; I have the 2-cup and the 1-cup too (pictured). I won’t lie: I bought them because they were pretty. I cave sometimes too. (I also used Google’s shopping engine and searched around until I found the cheapest place that sold them with free shipping. Oh yes, I did.)

This makes me want to go buy a blender, strainer, and highball glasses right now. I just moved and had to start my kitchen from scratch. Obviously, it’s slow going. Ha! I love gin and usually am the one ordering the grandpa G&T at bars I can’t get wine at. Though, I tried the most amazing cucumber basil gimlet made with Hendrick’s gin. I fell in love. The PERFECT hot day drink.

I love Gin and Tonics! Especially in jazz clubs, then I feel especially glamourous and retro. Question: Can this be done with sour cherries? I have a pint from the market that are just about to be too soft to eat.

The other day we were at Slice in the Village, and they had homemade orange creme soda. It turned out to be Fanta over ice with a heavy helping of cream poured over the top. So simple, yet amazingly delicious. We had to order a second.

Looks yummy, Deb! But I have to stand up for my good friend, infused liquor. People, it’s just the thing to do with your fruit when it’s too hot to make jam or bake a cake. Why, just a week ago I took the stuff left in the strainer after pureeing a cup of blackberries, and threw it in a jar with some vodka. And today I have purple hooch! ***Special bonus suggestion for when you do get a vacation: if you can stand to pick beach plums, they’re closely related to sloes (see last Wednesday’s NYTimes) and you can make some sloe-ish gin!

Oh, I have lipstick that color! I’ll have to be sure to wear it when I make this. And as for infused liquor, I recently infused Maker’s Mark with chipotle and bacon, and tequila with grilled chilies and pineapple. Not as stunning as these, color wise, but amazing flavors nonetheless. Cheers and chin chin!

Made a huge batch of Limoncello last year – it has been residing in the freezer. Think I will use that instead of gin – and some fresh lemon instead of lime…. and put it in the seltzer thingamajiggy to give it some bubbles… mmmmm

Funny I just saved this recipe to my “food” file; so maybe I’ll have this for breakfast!Not a fan of gin however I’m sure vodka will work.
I don’t have blackberries but I do have blueberries, hmmmm…………..and since I live in Hawaii, it’s mango season. Off to experiment now!

Oh yum, just made these virgin (diet 7 up instead of gin, sorry!) and had one problem…..my blackberries did not really liquefy in blender, even on purée setting for long time. In mesh strainer, not much juice came out so I used rhe (untrained) purée, seeds and all. What did I do wrong? Even though the seeds stuck in my teeth and no gin, it was delicious!

Hi, Deb:
I feel completely stupid asking this question, but here goes:
your recipe calls for a 1/4 cup blackberries, but the picture shows a full cup.
Is it just because a brimming cupful of berries is four time more beautiful than a quarter cup?
Thanks,
Sal

I had to use raspberries – couldn’t find blackberries – and it was tasty. However, I’m puzzled by the quarter cup of berries indicated – that wasn’t many raspberries and would be even fewer blackberries. I doubled the berries and it still wouldn’t blend easily because of the tiny amount of fruit. Your pureed fruit picture appears to have half a cup or more but I got a good bit less. Am I missing something?

Made this tonight with raspberries since store was out of blackberries. A quarter cup raspberries isn’t many and blackberries would be even fewer. Yet your photo of pureed fruit appears to be half a cup or more; mine amounted to a good bit less. Am I missing something?

One commenter further up asked if she was the only one who thinks that gin tastes like chewing on a Christmas tree, and to her I say no, that’s just what it tastes like, and also the reason I adore gin with all my heart. And Deb I also love Beefeaters so much! Seeing this post made me forget for two seconds that I am a million months pregnant, and now I know exactly what I’ll be drinking five weeks from now.

Also, that is seriously the most beautifully colored drink I’ve ever seen. I want to paint my walls with it .

Just made these to accompany a “southern” dinner of red beans and rice and mustard greens from the garden. A perfect compliment to our supper. Brings me back to long days and nights on Long Island, drinking Sloe Gin Fizzes at a club with a girlfriend…both of us underage! Great memory. Great drink!

Back in the olden days, my drink of choice was a gin and tonic..with a twist. To this day..I prefer that little twisted strip of lemon zest (or lime zest in some things) to a wedge or slice of either citrus. I always add it to grape beverages, too. I have several jars of seedless, black raspberry jam, I wonder if a couple spoonfuls of that could be used to make this drink, without the sugar…not that blackberries are hard to come by..

I’m due to have a baby in six days (theoretically). There are blackberries in my garden right now. Assuming this child comes before the blackberries end for the season–and assuming I can manage something complicated like pureeing and sieving fruit while juggling a newborn and a toddler–I am definitely going to make a weak version of this (nursing, you know).

It’s nice to find a fellow female gin drinker. Have you ever made true sloe gin? I finagled sloe berries from England a few years ago and went to town with it, and I’m planning it again this year. (I feel like someone rather questionable, having a sloe berry ‘contact’.) Having it done fresh tastes a lot different than what’s offered on the market in this country. Give it a try sometime.

Welcome back Jacob. We missed you.
Loved the drink. Love love Gin, and although in the South of Chile it is freezing this time of year, we managed to enjoy it with frozen blackberries in front of a real chimney. Mmmm. Gracias.
Marilyn (Nº 79): if you are already indulging with Gin do it for real, forget the stevia and enjoy!!!!!!!!.

So.. It’s 11 AM on a Monday and I’m already trying to figure out how I could make it appropriate to drink this with lunch.. I’ve been looking for some new recipes to jazz up gin, and I think I have a winner!

i found this recipe in bon appetit, and made it twice this weekend. unfortunately, the second time, i went too far drinking my normal gin & sodas after consuming two of these nice guys, and i’ve gotta say, blackberry gin fizz is not as pretty on the way back up.

Deb – how do you avoid the smelly ice cube problem with those tovolo trays? I ordered some and absolutely loved them for about a month, after which I noticed that all of my ice cubes began to taste like freezer. I’ve tried everything – vinegar, baking soda, vinegar AND baking soda, bleach, club soda – and I cannot get the smell out. It’s put me off silicone kitchenware entirely. Do you have some sort of secret way to get the smell out?

Blackberry puree — I scaled the recipe down when I shared it with you, which I hope isn’t causing trouble. I pureed one cup of blackberries and 1/2 cup sugar (as per the original recipe) and it yielded 2/3 to 3/4 cup strained puree (as you can see in the measuring cup image; I got a bit lazy getting the last tablespoon strained). The original recipe was for 8 drinks and I reduced the recipe by 75% to get two drinks, hence you should have about 2 2/3 to 3 tablespoons puree (from 1/4 cup berries + 2 tablespoons sugar), or 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 tablespoons puree per glass. I measured the same into my two glasses and found it to be very strong with blackberry flavor (to the point that I worried people would complain the berry flavor was too strong) but my glasses were also a little shorter than your average Collins glass. Hope that helps clarify. Now my question for those of you who felt you didn’t have enough: Did you get different amounts? Did you just want more berries? I’d be happy to retest this — tough day at the office, clearly — and update the recipe if needed.

Nicole — Same problem here! I think it’s got more to do with the freezer itself than the trays, though they are porous and therefore absorb scents better. So, de-stinking the freezer (something I haven’t bothered doing but have Googled and found a lot of tips) is probably the way to go. I actually immensely dislike all silicone cookware and these ice cube trays, because I was so impressed with the shape, are the only things I’ve bought. They’re not to blame for stinky freezers but they’re hardly putting forth a good argument for the wonders of silicone.

BHW — Thank you. I’d love to come to Richmond but will not be sad if it’s cooler than that. They’re working on the schedule now. I’ll probably make an announcement of the dates and locations after Labor Day. The book is out October 30th and the tour will likely begin a day or two later. No rest for the weary! :)

Janelle — At home, we usually buy any brand; we’re not picky. But when out, we are occasionally suckers for club soda that comes in little overpriced glass bottles because it tastes so. much. better. it’s not even fair. Boylan’s is really good, but this time I used a new brand I’d found at Whole Foods.

I didn’t think I was a gin fan, but a friend dragged me to a gin event for San Francisco Cocktail Week last year, but they featured some really mellow gins and now I really like them. So, throwing this out there for the gin-haters. Try Hendricks. Or 209, if you can find it (this one is my favorite and is distilled in San Francisco). They’ve got a different balance of botanicals, so they are less pine-tree flavored. Hendricks has a bit of a cucumber flavor. 209 is a little more spice-y (coriander and cardimom plus bergamot). It’s surprising how much flavor variability there is for this alcohol.

I would agree with fresh and juicy fruits, better to muddle than infuse. But I would encourage you to try some infusions of the non-juicing kind. Some favorites of mine: jalapeno infused tequila for a margarita with a kick, cinnamon + apple infused whiskey, or orange (peel) + spice (I use a natural spice tea because it is simple, but you could also collect whole spices: cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon) bourbon. Infusing is great fun, trust me!

this reminds me of a grown up version of the raspberry lime drink recipe you gave us last spring, I still make that constantly – to this day one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve ever had. Gotta try this one too!

This looks amazing! I am kind of on a fresh-fruit-cocktail obsession lately so this one is going on the list!

I have to agree, you’re right about everyone else being on vacation. My personal FB, instagram and twitter feeds are full of friends, family and acquaintances all on fun vacations – Maui, Tokyo, Australia, touring the US, Croatia, Paris and Vegas to name a few. I’m starting to get real resentful that my butt is stuck at home!

Just made it. I think I’d put more blackberries in next time. Refreshing, but the best part was eating the puree left over after straining. I love blackberries and want to taste more of them. I had more seeds left over, so I licked the strainer any my son licked the bowl (I used a food processor).

I also just made this! I was tired from being out all day but trekked immediately to the store for blackberries because I was helpless against those photos. Plus what else could I eat leftover barbecue chicken with? I agree with Peggy that mine was a little under-fruity, so next time I’ll just add more berries, which never sounds like a bad idea. Thanks, Deb!

Wow, this looks good. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I live in the Bay Area, where we have no real summer, and we did not get hit with the heat wave. But I’m down for some fruity gin drinks. Oh, and my husband hates gin, too! He hates even sitting next to me when I drink a g&t. So I naturally buy the juniper-iest gin I can find (Anchor Distilling Junipero). However, I think something less intense might be better for this drink.

Oh, I’m a de-lurker here who is so happy you posted a summer drink! I jokingly said I needed a signature summer drink, and you know how that kind of joke plays off. This one might be perfect, although for crazy reasons I will not explain, I might rename it :)

This is a cool drink in every sense of the word. I like the idea of an old soul in a drink. And the color of your go-to links in the post even match the color of the blackberries. Definitely a cool post!

I had never tried gin thinking I would hate it. Then last year I tried Basil Lime Gimlets at a new little restaurant in town. Yummy! Loved them so much that I’ve made them at home. They use New Amsterdam Gin which I think is supposed to be a little mellower.

Not a big fan of gin, but I’ve found favor in the “old tom” style. It is barrel aged and therefore a tad sweeter and softer (and also has more color!) than your standard gin- which also gives it more versatility in my opinion. I use absolutely nothing else in my Ramos Gin Fizzes, and highly recommend Ransom Old Tom Gin: http://www.ransomspirits.com/spirits.php

so awesome. I’ve been sharing it everywhere because right now I’m looking at 55 and rainy and would rather sip a hot toddy. however in 3 weeks when I fly home to the deep south…. this baby is first on the list.
also, that measuring cup is fantastic.

Delightful. One of my favorite breakfast drinks I’ve ever ordered included Hendricks, blueberries, and basil. Though I’m sure a lot of the success of this drink was dependent on the fact that I was at jazz brunch in New Orleans.

Your cockails look delish, i’ve got lots of blackberries growing in my garden so i can’t wait to try your recipe! I really like the style of your writing. I’ve just started my own food blog and i think i’ll definably take a step in your shoes and photograph my food to make my post look more interesting :)

It’s a wet. miserable summer in the UK at the moment BUT the blackberries are starting to ripen (normally due about August over here), hopefully we might actually get a crop despite the incessant rain. This recipe sounds amazing and I have saved it to bring out on a warm late summer evening, that’s if we have any.
BTW Gin and tonic is a perfectly acceptable drink over here and as for Sloe Gin… nothing gets me through New Year’s Day (traditionally spent at the races) like a hip flask of a year or two old Sloe Gin and a flutter on the gee-gees!

My boyfriend sent me this recipe early this morning and I thought about it all day. :) We made these just now and WOW they are good. Neither of us is into sweet-sweet drinks, so we halved the sugar and loved the results, although the blackberries were less sweet than we thought they’d be, coupled with the gin and lime.

We are headed to the blender to try the same recipe… with cherries! Wheee!

I have to say, I am absolutely convinced that I have to get out of my comfort zone and start creating some serious ‘drink’ recipes. Although I am gonna have to wait until October when our summer starts here in South Africa! Putting this one in my ‘recipes-to-do’ list until then!!

i am an absolute FIEND for gin cocktails, and this looks particularly delicious. and i love that color. i would design an outfit to match this cocktail so i could pose around in some vintage-y bar. i think i need to make this right now.

I like how the gradations are pressed into the glass of your glass measuring cup. I’m slightly skeptical of mine since they’re printed on and some of them aren’t even level. Oh well, if we were really going to be precise about our liquids, we’d use a graduated cylinder with a smaller surface area.

Thanks for a great drink! After a week of post-work testing (!), I have had a similar issue regarding sugar and berry content. Perhaps it is just my taste, but I found upping the berry and sugar amounts by 50% to be just perfect for 2 drinks (1/2 c. berries and 4-4.5 tbsp. sugar). We’re not into sweet drinks, but we found it necessary to balance the lime. I initially used frozen blackberries, as that was all I had on hand, but I also enjoyed great success with fresh raspberries and blackberries. Any excuse for gin! Many thanks for the excellent recipes. You are my go-to source for nightly inspiration!

Deb- As my girlfriend and I were excitedly talking about your forthcoming cookbook, she suddenly paused and mused, “Oh my god, can you imagine being MARRIED to her? You would have gotten to taste everything on her website!” Does Alex realize how LUCKY he is?? I hope so!

Hi Deb, can I please put in a request for a mobile optimised wsoesbsite? I’ve no idea how difficult they are to create, but I love browsing on the bus on my phone and an optimised website would be heaven! : )

I tend not to like gin-based drinks, but–call me crazy–this might be brilliant with bourbon. On occasion, I make blackberry mint juleps, and I’ve found them pretty fabulous, so this seems like the next step!

Oo, I totally dogeared that page in Bon Appetit to remind myself to make this. It’s absolutely my kind of drink. You know, by your definition of fizz cocktails, all of my favorite cocktails are of the fizz variety. Club soda, citrus, liquor, maybe some muddled fruit… yep.

Love the part about the cherry coke, I used to BEG my parents to let me order it when we’d go out to eat. Working in a bar now, and that fake cherry liquid gives me the shivers. But this, this is like the grownup version of a billion times better sweet and fizzy drink, with booze! Yum!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Finally I can stop looking at the berries at the market and thinking “do I *have* to make like a cheesecake or something?” Can’t wait to make this for a party when my friend is visiting. Those who want to drink can add gin, and those who don’t just… don’t. PERFECT.

This looks delicious. However, some of your comments about infused liquors sound similar to saying “I hate all extracts because I had a bad experience with artificial vanilla extract.” Real infused liquors taste much better than most of the flavored vodkas you can buy commercially! I made some strawberry vodka that I swear tastes more like strawberries than fresh strawberries do! At any rate you get to taste aspects of the fruit you infuse that you normally don’t because some compounds that are soluble in alcohol are released.

Making a raspberry version here in Scotland. Speaking of which, have you ever tried raspberry drop scones? Everything is raspberry in this (wet/miserable/insert as appropriate) summer we are having and I have to confess to being on a bit of a binge…

oh dear lord . . . slow gin fizz . . . probably the first thing i ever go drunk on . . . as a teenager . . . and now I FEEL OLDDDDD!!! those were the days my friend, those were the days . . . sigh . . .

I’ve made this twice now, and I’m declaring it the perfect summer cocktail… especially since we have a bumper crop of blackberries in our backyard right now! I’m planning to pre-mix a batch (berry puree, lime juice and gin) in a mason jar to bring on our camping trip next week. Just add ice and club soda, and enjoy! This really is delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe.

I tried this out and have a few suggestions, especially for those longing for a little more berry flavor. I used a lot less sugar in the puree– I did about 1.5 cups of blackberries with only 4 tablespoons of sugar. Then I ended up playing around with the puree/gin/lime ratios and I liked 1:1:1 best.

In a highball glass, I used 2 oz. puree, 2 oz. gin, and 2 oz. lime, plus ice, and soda to top it. It was incredible. Not very sweet at all, but beautifully fruity.

I just made this today and it was tasty! I swapped the club soda for Pellegrino Limonata (mostly just to get the can out of the fridge to make room for other stuff). It was a little bit sweet with that swap, but it tasted lovely. I had a lot of blackberries so I made a lot of syrup. My next round will be with seltzer and lime instead of Limonata.

This drink looks great! I used to drink Sloe Gin Fizzes….loved them…LOL!! They tasted soooo good…haha! I also used to drink Gin and Tonics…now I like my Vodka and OJ but this drink looks really good. Maybe I will even make it with some vodka. Thanks for sharing

I made this for a group of friends we had over for dinner last week, and even though it’s November and not remotely summery, it was still delicious! (Here in the UK blackberries ripen later in the year) We didn’t have any soda water, so I used sugar-free tonic water and left the sugar out to rebalance the taste. Since I can’t drink alcohol at the moment, I had one without the gin and it was still delicious! I had made enough puree to have 2 drinks each, and into the 2nd drinks round we poured a shot of Chambord liqueur (black raspberry alcoholic cordial) into each glass and this was extra delicious! Thanks for a great drink Deb!

Just have to tell you that this has become my go-to summer drink. I use whatever berries looked delicious from the farmers market that day and it always turns out perfectly. Thanks from sunny Portland for yet another perfect recipe!